episode_0135
by fnovelpiaIn the middle of a snowy field where the northern sky is heavy and you can’t see even an inch ahead.
Northgard hunters walk silently across the snow, clad in layers of furs and thick leather gear.
The snow that touches your feet crumbles and leaves footprints, but they disappear without a trace in the newly fallen snow.
If things continue like this, we will lose our way back. Experienced hunters plant flags at regular intervals to secure them firmly.
The flags, painted with special dyes, glow faintly even in the snowstorm. With this, there is no need to worry about getting lost in the snowy fields. The hunters move forward again.
Leading the hunters is the chieftain Jorn.
Originally, it was the role of the chief investigator Tarkind, but he inevitably delegated it to Jorn.
The reason Tarkind went missing while trying to stop the orc horde’s attack and find their camp is because he was backtracking. Even after several investigations, there is no way to know whether he is alive or dead.
He was a great warrior of Lake Fortress… . It is a painful loss.
There’s nothing I can do.
Those who left have to be forgotten and those who remain have no choice but to do their best.
chuck.
Yorn stops with his fist raised.
The group stops all at once.
Reindeer line up along the ridge.
Linvar raised the corners of his mouth.
“Good start?”
Reindeer meat has a unique flavor and is a good source of energy due to its high fat content. If you miss it, you will regret it for a long time.
As Yorn nods while looking back, Linvar immediately gives a hand signal. The men move into position in unison.
Assisman just stood there blankly, looking around. She also seemed to have to do something.
Linvar smiles and winks.
“I’ll show you how Northgard hunts, so just watch, young lady.”
Puuu-
The hunt began with a small signal. A herd of reindeer raised their heads at the sound of a horn echoing from afar.
The decoys who had been waiting at pre-designated locations all shouted and started running toward the reindeer.
“Hey! Run away! If you don’t run away, I’ll eat you!”
The reindeer startle and run away, kicking up snow. The herd forms a curve and drives them toward one place, like the mouth of a gourd.
At the end of the path where the reindeer herd had been lured, the hunters, including Linvar, waited with their bows drawn.
The reindeer also realized that they had been lured, but it was too late to change direction. They increased their momentum, aiming for a breakthrough.
The shooters stand by.
A position of headwind that tries to keep its existence from being discovered.
It is not suitable for shooting arrows.
But they are Northgard.
Warriors who protect the North.
Even the bitter cold north wind cannot stop it.
“Put it between your eyebrows!”
At Linvar’s signal, the archers draw their bows. Arrows imbued with magic fly against the biting wind.
Phew!
An arrow hits a reindeer between the eyebrows.
Ahead, reindeer fall into the snow.
“Okay. Good~”
“It’s neat!”
The detached unit members gathered one by one. They smiled with satisfaction as they looked at the game they had caught.
“Linbar~ Haven’t your skills improved in the meantime?”
“You used to do this much? Are you saying it wasn’t as bad as it is now?”
“It’s so bloody I can’t even joke around.”
The hunters laugh and joke at the satisfying results just by looking at them.
“What should we do, Chief? Should we withdraw?”
“Um… .”
Jordan is worried.
With this level of harvest, there is no need to worry about immediate food.
But this is only the first hunt. Greed is a no-no, but there is still plenty of time and energy. It is human nature to naturally become greedy.
“Only a few people are left to transport the reindeer to the village, the rest continue hunting.”
Since everyone had similar thoughts, there was no dissenting opinion. A small group of soldiers loaded the reindeer onto a sled and returned to the village first.
“Keep going.”
Continue the march.
Assis followed closely behind.
As the snowfall grew heavier, Assis walked normally through the area where it would be difficult for an ordinary person to take even a single step.
It was a strange sight.
Because the footsteps of the woman who looked the most delicate were the lightest.
As if an invisible curtain had been unfolded, the snow disappeared as soon as they came near Assis. Assis was infinitely peaceful.
As if the snowfield was embracing her.
“Chief, this is the location point. There is a cave a little further.”
I found a flag that had been planted during a previous exploration.
As expected, a cave soon appeared.
“I’ll take a short break and go.”
He enters the cave, skillfully starts a fire, and warms up his cold body. He takes out the jerky from his bosom and begins to eat it.
If you don’t expose yourself to fire like this often, your senses will become dull. You could easily freeze to death without even realizing it.
Meanwhile, Assis, who radiates cold air when approached with warmth, was looking around a corner of the cave alone.
Linvar approached Assis.
“How was our hunt, Miss? Wasn’t it pretty cool?”
Assis nodded.
Actually, I didn’t feel anything, but I did because Karami advised me to nod my head if the other person seemed excited.
It was difficult for Assis to even detect the excited state.
“I knew it was out of the ordinary, but you’re really amazing, Miss. Walking around Isenggar dressed like that.”
“… … .”
“Actually, it wasn’t this cold in the past. It’s because of the evil dragon called Skadia, the sound of it.”
Linvar suddenly started telling an old story that seemed like something out of a fairy tale.
“It was hundreds of years ago. When Skadia appeared in the kingdom. The lizard guy ordered the king to periodically offer gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women, but the kingdom refused.”
“… … .”
“Skadia, who refused his orders, tried to destroy the kingdom, and the kingdom resisted with all its might. However, it was not enough to stop the dragon. In the end, the kingdom was defeated, and a curse was placed on the kingdom that rebelled.”
“I… lord?”
Linvar nodded.
“They froze the people in their entire kingdom. They left only their consciousness to suffer forever.”
“… … .”
“That kingdom is said to still be frozen somewhere in Isenggar.”
A story handed down to the northerners from ancient times. It was also a fairy tale that adults often told their children. If they did not listen to their parents, Skadia would appear and freeze them.
“No one actually saw it, but Grandma Darka got angry and said it was real. Well, that old lady’s condition is what it is. A legend is just a legend, I guess.”
Linvar shrugged his shoulders, saying it was nothing special.
But Assis felt a strange sensation there. He put his hand on his chest, feeling a slight pain. It was as if he was being pricked by a sharp needle.
I couldn’t figure out what caused it though.
While the conversation was almost one-way, we prepared to march again. We turned off the fire and packed our bags.
“Stop chatting and get moving again.”
***
“Found it. It’s a trace.”
Jorn, who was walking in the lead, stopped halfway up the snowy mountain.
Yorn pointed to a huge footprint faintly left in the snow. It was so hollow that even the heavy snow had not filled it in.
The footprints were much larger than those of an ordinary animal. Even the marks of the toes were clear, indicating that they were not those of an animal, but of a horse.
“It looks like a yeti, Chief.”
Yeti, which can only be seen in the snowfields. Yeti meat smells and is tasteless, but the ingredients, especially the fur, are excellent.
It is tough, strong, and warm. It can be made into armor or worn as an overcoat. It is sold at a high price to the wealthy, such as nobles. It can also be sold to merchants to obtain other food ingredients.
Of course, it is difficult and dangerous to hunt, but it is a risk worth taking.
“You’ll catch it, right?”
“Yeah. It’s not far.”
Considering the amount of snow in the footprints, it had not been long since they had passed. The hunters advanced again, their guard up.
As expected, the Yeti was spotted not far away. The Yeti, with its camouflage, was not clearly visible, but was visible to the sharp eyes of the warriors.
An appearance reminiscent of a gorilla.
However, it was three times larger than a gorilla.
The pure white fur seemed to blend in with the surroundings, but the breath frozen in frost and the huge silhouette could not hide its presence.
Yorn took out his double axe.
“I lure you.”
If you try to hunt the Yeti like a beast, you’ll end up with a big nose. A weak encirclement will break through. The standard way is to have one person take charge of marking the Yeti and drain its health as much as possible.
“If you’re ready, let’s start. Don’t let your guard down.”
“Okay.”
Hunters waiting in line.
Yorn approaches the Yeti, trying to keep his presence as low as possible.
Thinking of a surprise attack.
He carefully closes the distance so as not to be detected. When he finally gets within striking range, he crosses his tomahawks and leaps out.
Bam!
Like a sled gliding across a snowy road.
The new version of Yorn was drawn smoothly.
In one breath, we arrived within striking distance of the Yeti.
Big?
The Yeti, sensing the presence, reflexively swung its arms.
Choaaaak!
Jorn slides nimbly.
Pass over Yeti’s arm.
A slippery Yorn swung his tomahawk as he brushed past the Yeti, striking its leg.
Kook!
Unpleasant hand taste.
It’s like cutting rubber.
It only ends up splattering a few drops of blood.
The Yeti’s hide is strong and tough, so it is not easily pierced by blades. It also has high resistance to supernatural powers, so even if you strengthen it with magic power, it will not work.
Wow!
Yeti, who realized the situation too late, raises both fists towards the sky.
A stance for striking down.
Yorn quickly evades to the rear.
A fist lands where he was.
Boom!
Eyes exploding like planted landmines.
Yorn lands lightly.
Krrr… .
Yeti’s face turns red.
Looks like he got angry because he was suddenly attacked.
For a moment, the Yeti’s thigh muscles bulged and the Yeti kicked the ground.
Fight!
One leap.
The Yeti’s large body, drawn in a parabolic arc, reaches Jorn in one breath. It swings its arms widely and launches an attack. Every time, its thick, log-like arms make a dull, piercing sound.
Even if it was just one hit, it would be fatal, but the demon had not learned martial arts. Each movement was large, so if you were calm, you could easily dodge it.
Whack! Whack!
While avoiding attacks, Yorn stabs the Yeti with his axe from time to time. The Yeti sustains more and more wounds.
Chewing gum… .
Smoke rises from the wounded area. The Yeti’s excellent natural healing power allows the wound to heal in an instant.
Unless you land a critical hit, it will inevitably turn into a battle of attrition. It looks like it will be a long battle.
“… … .”
Assis, who was quietly watching from a distance, recalls what Karami had said.
A request to help Northgard hunt.
As far as Assis was concerned, now was the time.
Assis held out his hand.
“Huh? Baby… .”
Wedge!
A spear of ice was shot.
The spear, fired at a fierce speed, struck the head of the yeti that was fighting.
Crispy.
Big?
“… … ?”
However, the Yeti’s head was not blown off. The Yeti had excellent physical resistance, but its ice resistance was even better.
Since Assis had no way of knowing, the magic that had even pierced the wyvern’s scales scattered like ice.
A yeti distorting its face. The yeti changes its target when it is interrupted in battle. It ignores the Jorn who is scurrying in front of it and rushes towards the onlookers.
“What are you doing, girl! Ice doesn’t work on Yetis!”
“… Aha.”
“That’s not Ahaha!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The yeti charges forward recklessly.
The impact causes the mountain to shake and an avalanche to occur.
“This is crazy. Everyone get out!”
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